1/13/2005

All Souls' Day

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All Souls' Day, Allerseelen

See All Saints’ Day .. All Souls’ Day

. Hallowe'en, Halloween .


shoreisai 諸霊祭 (しょれいさい) All Souls' Day
shisha no hi 死者の日(ししゃのひ)"day of the dead"
hookyoo shishasai 奉教諸死者祭(ほうきょうししゃさい)


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Allerseelen
das Flackern in den Augen
eines Kürbis


All Souls' Eve
the flicker in the eyes
of a pumpkin


Dietmar Tauchner
http://www.haiku-heute.de/Haiku/haiku.html

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FOOD FOR THE DEAD

by John J. Dunphy

(published in RAW NerVZ HAIKU X:1)

Many families in old Ireland set out food for the dead on All Souls Eve, since it was believed that deceased relatives often returned to their homes on that night. My ancestors observed this custom, and a story has been passed down in my family concerning one particular All Souls Eve.

Food had been placed on the table. A candle burned next to the food to make the dead feel welcomed. While the rest of the family slept, two children slipped from their beds and hid so they could watch the food unobserved. About midnight a pale, gaunt man entered the house, ate his fill and silently departed.

My great-uncle, who related the story to me, noted it was logical to assume that the stranger was one of Ireland's many beggars who availed themselves of food left for the dead on All Souls Eve. At the time, however, some of our ancestors reached a different conclusion.

All Souls Day
children search for footprints
leading from the graveyard


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THE GIFTS OF THE DEAD

In Sicily on the night before All Soul's Day, many gifts are prepared for the children in the houses.
They are the gifts that the dead make to the children of their families. On the same day, the confectioner's shops sell bones-, skeletons- and skulls-shaped cakes made from almond paste.

sweet Death
children enjoy her
without fear

Moussia - Roma

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. Christian Celebrations in Japanese Kigo  


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3 comments:

Gabi Greve said...

.
Die Stufen empor
zur Allerseelenmesse
langsam der Alte.


Horst Ludwig MN, USA

Anonymous said...

.
All Souls'...
a wasp returns
to the lintel


Helen Buckingham

http://tinywords.com/haiku/2006/11/01

Gabi Greve said...

The Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos, Día de los Difuntos or Día de Muertos in Spanish)
is an ancient Aztec celebration of the memory of deceased ancestors that is celebrated on November 1 (All Saints' Day) and November 2 (All Souls' Day).

The holiday is especially popular in Mexico where it is a national holiday, and is celebrated in the Philippines, in Mexican-American communities in the United States, and to a lesser extent, in other Latin American countries. It is a public holiday in Brazil, where many Brazilians celebrate it by visiting cemeteries and churches, bringing flowers, lighting candles and praying.

Though the subject matter may be considered morbid from the Anglo Saxon perspective, Mexicans celebrate the Day of the Dead joyfully, and though it occurs at the same time as Halloween, All Saints' Day and All Souls Day, the traditional mood is much brighter with emphasis on celebrating and honoring the lives of the deceased, and celebrating the continuation of life; the belief is not that death is the end, but rather the beginning of a new stage in life.

Read more in the Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Day_of_the_Dead

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